The Crew Awaits: Recruiting Every Companion in The Outer Worlds 2

Obsidian Entertainment’s highly anticipated sequel, The Outer Worlds 2, has finally launched, and as with its predecessor, the heart of the journey through the new star system lies with its memorable, faction-tied companions. Your relationship with these six new crew members—each with distinct motivations and loyalty thresholds—will fundamentally shape the narrative and your survival. Unlike many RPGs, these companions are not just combat supports; they provide critical lore, give exploration tips, and can even turn hostile if your actions betray their core beliefs, making their recruitment and management a vital part of the role-playing experience.

For players seeking the definitive, full-crew experience, here is the complete, high-value guide on how to find and secure all six companions for your ship, The Incognito. Pay close attention to the missable quests and faction choices to ensure you don’t lose a valuable ally!

The Six Companions of The Outer Worlds 2 and Recruitment Steps

There are six companions in total in The Outer Worlds 2. Two are acquired automatically, while the other four require completing specific quests and making the right faction-aligned choices in the world of Arcadia.

1. Niles

• Faction: Earth Directorate
• Role: Tactical/Tank (Taunts enemies, increased damage)
• Location: The Incognito (Your Ship)
• How to Recruit: Niles is an automatic Companion. He appears in the prologue and will be on your ship as soon as you complete the introductory mission and land on Paradise Island. He is the main tutorial companion and can fix your gear through his unique Field Tinkering dialogue option, which accesses the Workbench menu anytime.

2. VALERIE (VAL)

• Faction: Earth Directorate (Robot)
• Role: Combat Medic (Healing syringe volley, damage reduction)
• Location: The Incognito (Your Ship)
• How to Recruit: VALERIE is also an automatic Companion from the start of the game. This trusty robot provides essential healing and is a constant source of useful exploration tips, often pointing out nearby shortcuts or points of interest.

3. Marisol

• Faction: Order of the Ascendant
• Role: Ranged DPS/Assassin (Tech-head with a science pistol, high ranged damage)
• Location: Zyranium Manufactory VII on Golden Ridge (Dorado)
• How to Recruit (Missable):
  1. Start the companion quest “Beginning at the Endpoint”, which leads you to the manufactory.
  2. You will meet her under the alias ‘Initiate Alva’, embroiled in a crisis.
  3. CRITICAL CHOICE: Throughout the investigation, you must side with Initiate Alva (Marisol) and defy Proctor Svoboda. Siding against her or wantonly killing too many members of the Order of the Ascendant will cause you to miss her.
  4. Completing the quest while supporting her will allow you to recruit her to your party.

4. Aza

• Faction: The Glorious Dawn (Cultist)
• Role: Explosives/Rogue (Area-of-Effect stagger and heavy physical damage)
• Location: Decommissioned Autonomous Extractorium on Golden Ridge (Dorado)
• How to Recruit (Missable):
  1. Travel to the Decommissioned Autonomous Extractorium, an optional area typically swarming with hostile cultists.
  2. CRITICAL ACTION: Eliminate the cultists and find Aza locked away inside.
  3. Free Aza. She is an agent of the extremist Glorious Dawn cult, but she will be eager to join your party to continue her quest against “traitors” within her own faction.
  4. If you tell her to leave or continuously slaughter members of The Glorious Dawn while she is present, she will depart or even turn hostile.

5. Inez

• Faction: Auntie’s Choice
• Role: Versatile Combat Medic (Healing or offensive projectiles, depending on graft)
• Location: Ministry of Accuracy (West of Fairfield on Paradise Island)
• How to Recruit (Missable):
  1. First, find Inez at the abandoned Ministry of Accuracy (can be part of the “Saga of the Malfunctioning Mechanicals” quest). After defeating the local wildlife with her, she will mention heading back to Fairfield.
  2. Go to Minister Milverstreet’s office in Fairfield. You will find Milverstreet and Inez arguing.
  3. CRITICAL CHOICE: Speak with Milverstreet, and Inez will quit her job due to the Minister’s refusal to help fix her graft.
  4. Meet Inez by the office entrance after the argument and speak to her again to formally recruit her.
  5. WARNING: Inez is fiercely loyal to Auntie’s Choice. Making a critical story choice later on to destroy Fairfield (the Auntie’s Choice town) will result in her leaving your party permanently, and she may even confront you with lethal intent.

6. Tristan

• Faction: Protecterate
• Role: Melee Tank (AoE physical damage, taunting, exploration spotter)
• Location: The 2nd Choice Saloon on Free Market Station (A late-game hub)
• How to Recruit:
  1. Once you gain access to the Free Market Station, locate Tristan arguing with the bartender in the 2nd Choice Saloon.
  2. Speaking to him will trigger his companion quest, “Arbitrary Measures.”
  3. Follow and complete the quest, which involves meeting Tristan at the refugee camp on Golden Ridge.
  4. Completing “Arbitrary Measures” will give you the option to recruit him as a companion.

The High-Stakes of Companion Loyalty

Obsidian has significantly deepened the companion loyalty system in The Outer Worlds 2. Unlike many simpler RPGs, your companions are not guaranteed to be your loyal sidekicks. They possess strong ideological alignment to their factions—Earth Directorate, Order of the Ascendant, The Glorious Dawn, Auntie’s Choice, and the Protecterate. Choosing quests or dialogue options that directly contravene their factional loyalty will erode your relationship.

• Warnings and Ultimatums: Companions will often warn you first, either in dialogue or by initiating a tense conversation, giving you a chance to adjust your course.
• Betrayal and Death: If you push them too far, especially with repeated hostile actions against their faction or by making catastrophic choices (like destroying a companion’s home town), they may confront you, leave your party forever, or even turn into a lethal enemy, forcing a fight to the death. This level of narrative consequence significantly raises the player agency and replay value of the game.

The Outer Worlds 2 demands players thoughtfully manage their relationships and be prepared for the consequences of their actions. Recruiting all six companions is the first step; keeping them loyal is the real challenge of the Arcadia star system.

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Release Note: The Outer Worlds 2 launched on October 29, 2025, for Xbox Series X|S, PlayStation 5, and PC. This guide is based on verified launch information and early reviews.